Wandsworth Council has established an official donation channel for residents affected by September’s devastating Fox House fire, responding to community desire to help displaced families who lost everything in the blaze that destroyed the building’s top floor and roof.
The council-managed fund, set up through its existing Mayoral charity framework, ensures all donations go directly to affected residents from the Maysoule Road block. Priority will be given to families whose possessions were destroyed and who have no other access to funds, with furniture for new accommodation the most pressing need.
“We want to be clear that this is in response to the community’s desire to help and support residents directly, not a request to support council services,” the council stated, adding that the fund is ringfenced for Fox House residents.
Donations can be made at: wandsworth.gov.uk/mayors-charities/
The night everything changed
The fire broke out at 7:09 PM on September 10 at Fox House, a five-storey council block near Clapham Junction. One hundred firefighters battled the blaze for four hours, evacuating 150 residents as flames destroyed the building’s entire fourth floor and roof space. Around 60 people lost their homes.
Within days, three families launched GoFundMe appeals that reveal the hidden stories behind the headlines. Latoya-Leonie Beecher, a mother of two young daughters, discovered water damage had destroyed everything despite the fire never reaching their flat. “Our dear friend’s home, the place she dreamed would be her forever sanctuary with her two young daughters, has been ruined,” her fundraising page states. “While the fire didn’t reach their flat, the water has destroyed almost everything inside – belongings, memories, and the comfort of home.” Her campaign has raised £1,355.
For 87-year-old Jack, the prospect of starting over proved particularly devastating. His daughter Samantha Blake launched an appeal describing how “at his age having to start all over again is a very distressing and upsetting time.” The campaign has raised just £10, while a third workplace collection organized by Zara George raised nothing – suggesting donors may have turned to the official council fund instead.
“We’ve probably lost everything”
Isabel Lubeiro, who lived in the building for 26 years with her son Alex, 27, heard frantic doorbell ringing and banging that night. “I look outside my front window of my living room and I see fire reflected on the building’s windows opposite mine,” she recalled. Living directly below where the fire started, she grabbed what she could and fled. “The smoke destroys everything,” she told reporters the next day. “We’ve probably lost everything.”
The council established a support hub at York Gardens Library, providing emergency accommodation, e-vouchers for essentials, and assigning dedicated officers to each household. Power to Connect supplied laptops and phones to help displaced families stay connected, while Chatfield Health Care offered prioritised GP appointments and prescription replacements.
By early October, 27 of the 29 households with secure tenancies had been offered permanent homes, though only 12 had accepted. The remaining displaced residents – including non-secure tenants, leaseholders, and private renters – continue receiving support with rehousing, though specifics remain unclear.
Investigation pending as safety concerns mount
Six weeks later, the cause remains “undetermined.” London Fire Brigade investigators cannot access the structurally unsafe building to complete their investigation – raising questions about building integrity that Councillor Kate Stock highlighted at October’s Housing Committee meeting, noting resident concerns about “why the fire had spread so quickly” and that other council blocks of similar design exist on the road. The fire came just six months after the Regulator of Social Housing issued Wandsworth a C3 rating for “serious failings” including 1,800 overdue fire safety actions.
The Maysoule Road fire joins a concerning pattern of recent local incidents. Last month, an e-bike battery charging overnight caused a major fire on Putney High Street, while March’s gas explosion at Burke Close in Roehampton left residents evacuated for weeks. Each incident highlights different risks facing London’s aging housing stock.
Those wishing to support Fox House residents can donate at the council’s official fund: wandsworth.gov.uk/mayors-charities/
For housing support or information about affected residents, contact Wandsworth Council’s housing team through York Gardens Library or call 020 8871 6000.
